Celluloid product



March 26, 1935. s. c. PERRY CELLULOID PRODUCT Filed Jan. 26, 1931 ZZZ/87w v Grover CPer Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention has to do with the manufacture of celluloid products and has, as its principal objects, enlargement of the field in which celluloid may be advantageously employed; improvement of products in which celluloid is a constituent element; improvement of products by rendering it practicable to utilize celluloid; and the provision of a neat, simple and efiective process for attaching celluloid to fabric.

For the preservation of identification, address and information cards, tickets, price lists, ledger sheets, and the like, which are subjected to handling and more or less rough usage, it has been customary to cover them with a sheet of celluloid, or to enclose them in an envelope of celluloid, closed on all-sides, or otherwise, depending or whether it is necessary to withdraw and reinsert the same from time to time.

Until the invention of my Patent No. 1,510,243 of September 30, 1924, was completed, there was no satisfactory method of joining two or more edges of celluloid, the general practice theretofore having consisted of stitching the seams. It is a matter of common observation that neither stitching nor any other type of mechanical fastening is suitable where one of the elements to be joined is a sheet of celluloid. Therefore, while celluloid possesses all the requisites of a satisfactory covering, being thin, light, smooth and transparent, there are no instances of its satisfactory use for envelopes except where the employment of the invention of my Patent No. 1,510,243' has been resorted to. Even in such cases the use has been limited because of inadequate provision for combining two or more envelopes, or for mounting a plurality of celluloid sheets in a post binder, bill fold, or other container. I

The present invention provides a practical way to join celluloid to other materials which are well adapted to be stitched or otherwise mechanically fastened and by such joinder presents the means for manufacturing a wide variety of articles in which celluloid sheets or envelopes are desirable elements.

In order that the invention may be fully comprehended I have illustrated in simple form two of the many products that may be prepared by the practice thereof, and I have based the following detailed description on the drawing, of which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a pair of celluloid envelopes bound together;

Fig. 2 is a single envelope joined to a fabric attaching member or hinge;

Fig. 3 shows the manner of notching the en velope to facilitate insertion and positioning of the fabric; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

As shown by the drawing, the numeral 11, wherever applied, represents a sheet of celluloid. In Fig. 1, between the upper and lower sheets 11 of the envelopes A and B, respectively, are marginal filler strips 12, and connecting the envelopes is an attaching member 13.

The strips and attaching member are formed of a fabric, coated or impregnated on both sides with a cellulose material which is soluble in a solvent for celluloid. Fabrics of this character are known generally as cellulose coated artificial leather and are sold commercially under the names Fabrikoid, Keratol, Zaponite, etc. They are made in different colors and an attractive appearance is given to the envelopes by matching the colors for the strips and attaching member. In some cases, contrasting colors may be used to advantage.

Such fabrics are tough and flexible and thus are readily adaptable for mounting in post binders or for other forms of mechanical attachment. It is apparent that it is entirely practicable to assemble, in a binder of any form, a plurality of envelopes, of the kind shown in Fig. 2. The fabric attaching member 12a constitutes an ideal hinge, and within the envelopes, for protection, may be inserted photographs, information cards, data sheets, or other documents, to be referred to from time to time.

The fact that such fabrics are coated with cellulose materials that are soluble in a solvent for celluloid makes it possible to apply the method of my aforesaid patent for joining the fabric to the celluloid sheets.

In manufacturing products such as those illustrated in the drawing, the filler strips are first inserted between the sheets along the edges 7 to be joined, and then caused to cohere therewith by applying to the exposed edges of the sheets and strips a liquid celluloid solvent, such as acetone or other ketone, acetates, or any combination thereof, all as fully set forth in my earlier patent.

To facilitate joinder of the envelope to the fabric attaching member or hinge 13, the strips are terminated short of the edge so to be joined, and the projecting marginal portions are cut away to form notches 14. This renders it a simple matter to insert the fabric between the free edges 15 of the sheets 11 and to line up the sides of the fabric with the sides of the envelope.

The ends of the strips form shoulders or stops 16 which limit the extent to which the fabric may be inserted and determine the width of the interiltting or overlapp n margin 17.

When properly assembled the same solvent used for Joining the strips to the sides of the sheets is applied along the edge 170, preferably on both sides of the envelope.

The joinder of the fabric to the celluloid is permanent, strong and neat, and leaves available substantially the entire area and capacity of the celluloid sheets for reception and display of whatever is to be inserted within the envelope.

While, for the purpose of explaining the invention, I have referred to envelopes, hinges, fabrics, and sheets of celluloid and have suggested certain types of articles that can be made advantageously because of my invention, I do not intend thereby, or by any interpretation of specification or language, to limit the exclusive rights claimed herein, but, to the contrary, being the first to conceive the invention and reduce the same to practice, I consider as within the legitimate scope of the invention, all articles of whatever kind or description that embody celluloid attached to a fabric by cohesion and all procedures which bring about such cohesion.

I claim:

1. An article of the type described, comprising two layers of celluloid joined at their outer edges by celluloid insert strips, the ends of said layers extending beyond said strips, and a fabric cemented to the inner surface of said layers and abutting said insert strips.

2. An article of the type described, comprising; two sheets of celluloid joined at their surfaces along adjacent edges thereof to opposite surfaces, of a fabric which is coated with a cellulose mal terial that is soluble in a solvent for the celluloid by union of the celluloid and said material, said celluloid sheets extending beyond said fabric, and said fabric extending beyond said celluloid sheets to form a hinge therefor, said sheets of celluloid being spaced apart by celluloid strips 2 of substantially the same thickness as the thickness of said fabric.

GROVER C. PERRY. 

